[TowerTalk] Re: Rohn 45 Guying Necessities

At 09:42 4/26/98 EDT, Dshmkat wrote:
>What is the most you could go up with no guy wire's? 20-30'?? What
about Rohn
>55,65? Also sq. ft area max.
===============================>
Although I don't have a definitive answer to your question, I can
relate the following:
Back in 1975, I believe, I had 70' foot of Rohn 45 put up in New
Orleans and had no guy wires on it. At the top were a TA-36 and 402BA.
We were hit by a hurricane and the tower sustained steady winds in
excess of 85-90 mph. It swayed, and I worried, but it survived.
In 1983, I believe, I had the same array up in Houston. Again, we were
hit by a hurricane. The tower sustained steady winds in excess of 80-85
mph. It swayed, and I worried, but it survived.
>From across the street, in my neighbors house, we weathered the storm
with a bottle of vodka, and bets on when the swaying tower would come
down. We finished the vodka, and the tower finished the storm. After
the storm was over, and winds and rain were changed to calm, the tip
element on the 402BA just fell off by itself, and I fell off the chair
in my neighbor's house. Hmmmm.
A later inspection of the tower showed that the bolt holes in the
bottom section of the tower were now egg shaped. I suppose from the
steady battering back and forth, with the strong bolts deforming the
weaker material tower leg around the drilling.
Now, when I was on the tower, the tower would sway back and forth a
little, to the extent that the egg shaped holes would allow.
Enough to make your stomach churn, so I guyed the tower.
Since guying, the tower has not been in a hurricane.
I suppose that this is sort of like a tornado hunting for a trailer
park. Those winds seem to find the easy targets and go for them first.
That being the case, I would not go over 10' without guying. Otherwise,
you might as well live in a trailer park, 'cuz the big wind will find
you.
In case my thread on this is not clear....
Algorithm #1
Storms find weak towers first, and storms are good it.
Algorithm #2
Don't bet on your tower to come down between belts of vodka.
You will lose, no matter what.
The next day will be miserable.
73,
N5RP
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